If you want to study at a university in Germany, you must have health insurance. This also applies to students from non-EU countries. As a rule, however, it is sufficient that you have health insurance in your country of origin. Then you can present your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) when you register at the university (matriculation). Information on the EHIC is available here.

You can use this link to find out more information about health insurance for students in several languages and in which cases, for example, it makes sense to take out additional health insurance.

The website Study-in.de provides information in German and English on living and studying in Germany. There is a blog on the website in which students from abroad tell their experiences in Germany and give personal tips.

Go to the following link that takes you to the Facebook page Study in Germany.

DAAD is also on Twitter - @DAAD_Germany.

Anyone who is in Germany for short-term study courses during the semester holidays or who would like to find out more about the programmes of the summer academies can use the DAAD database for language and specialist courses.

EU citizens must have a school leaving certificate that entitles them to study a degree in their home country. Students from the EU do not need a residence permit or a visa.

Since registration is mandatory in Germany, students who are staying in Germany for more than three months to study must register with the Registration office in their city upon arrival.

You also have to prove that you have health insurance.

As a rule, EU citizens also need a good knowledge of the German language. This is based on the provisions of the European Framework of Reference for Language.

For international bachelor, master and doctoral programmes offered at German universities, English is usually the language of instruction. However, it also applies here that a good knowledge of German makes everyday life in Germany much easier.

Prospective students have the opportunity to prove their knowledge of German by 

1. Taking the language test for university admission for foreign students (DSH), which is offered at universities. The information on the website is multilingual.

2. Providing proof of the “German as a foreign language test” (TestDaF). Details and information regarding the test centres in Germany and abroad can be found on the TestDaF website.

For citizens of the EEA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, the same regulations apply as for EU citizens. 

The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) Deutschland e.V. is an association of local student Erasmus initiatives. The volunteer members of the currently 37 sections look after around 11,000 exchange students annually. Internationally, the ESN is available at over 520 universities in over 40 countries.

The website “Study offers in Germany “ of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) gives an overview of which courses there are in Germany and where you can complete which courses.

Every student applicant from the EU must apply for admission to study. This applies to new students, graduates and doctoral students. During the admission process, it is checked whether an applicant fulfils the necessary requirements to study.

How the application process is and where you have to apply to study at a German university depends on the subject in which you want to start your studies and the degree you are aiming for.

Detailed information on the subject of admission, admission restrictions and the application process for studying in Germany is available in English on the DAAD website.

If you have found a university and would like to take advantage of personal advice on site, then you can contact the International student registry of the university. You can find the Student advice centres on the Hochschulkompass (Higher education compass) website.

Self-financing
Students must be able to demonstrate credibly that they can finance their studies independently (proof of income, guarantee from their parents, scholarship, etc.).

However, students can also apply for funding:

Scholarship
Information on funding opportunities and scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for foreign students, graduates, postdocs and university teachers as well as offers from other selected funding organisations can be found in the DAAD funding database.

In addition to the scholarship, students also have the option, under certain conditions, to apply for a grant for vocational training (BAföG).
 
To receive BAföG,

• The EU citizen must have an EU permanent residence card, which can be issued after a legal stay of 5 years.
• As an employee or self-employed person, you must be entitled to freedom of movement under Union law or have been in an employment relationship.
• The same requirements also apply to family members of EU citizens who themselves come from the EU or not from the EU or to family members who are married to a German citizen.

Further detailed information on BAföG for EU citizens can be found on the BAföG website.

Note: You can also apply for BAföG for an internship. Funding is provided for a mandatory internship that is an essential part of the training. This internship must be stipulated in the course regulations and meet certain eligibility requirements.

Note: Whether you want to spend your entire degree abroad, do a semester abroad or do an internship abroad. In certain cases, you can still apply for foreign BAföG.
You can find out about the conditions for an application for AuslandsBAföG, what options there are for a stay abroad and how long this support is possible on the website of the Federal Ministry of Education.